Rotary well drilling tool



. K `KENNEDYE y l l April 19, 1932` ROTARY WELL DRILLING ToL Re 18,434

` original Filed March 5. 192? [2 sheets-sheetV .1

zal fn p00 f ,Z2-'22,2177 fm1 C. B. KENNEDYE ROTARY WELL DRILLING TOOL Re' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 19, 1932.

original Filed March 5, 192'.

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Reissued Apr. 19, 1932 l UNITED STATES f Re; l18,434

l PATENT OFFICE CHARLES .'B. KENNEDYE, OF NIVERSITY CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 THE KENNEDYE CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE ROTARY WELL-DRILLING TOOL Original No. 1,788,414, dated December 23, 1930, Serial No. 172,248, led March 3, 1927. Application for reissue filed July 17, 1931. Serial No. 551,503.

The present improvements .relate more particularly to a well drilling tool of the rotary type in which drilling elements are' adapted to have cooperative removable engagement with a suitable supporting head. As a feature of the present invention, side reamers and drilling blades may be incorporated in a` single head, in order to simultaneously drill from the-base of the head and ream from the side thereof, thus insuring the drilling of a straighter hole and one that is true to gauge.

Another feature of the invention comprises the provision' of longitudinal and separate communicating transverse Vslots opening to the sides and' base of said head respectivelyl into which said reamer and drilling blades are adapted to be inserted. The

' drilling blades projecting from the base of the head are provided withscutting or drilling edges. Two or more pairs of reamers and drilling bits may be mounted on the same head, preferably equally spaced around the circumference or width of the bit supporting portion `of the head.

As another feature of the invention. the inner ends of the drilling blades projecting below the base of the heads over-lap in order to prevent packing of small particles disengaged in drilling since it might tend -to slow down the operation.

As another feature 'of the present invention, the water or other liquid medium used isv delivered to the extreme side edges of the head at the base thereof, the arrangement being such, that since the bit will wear away in a'substantially horizontal line. when the bit has worn to the point of inefficiency. that is, practically up to the base of the head. the

water or other liquid medium will back up and` will automatically shut off a pump which forces it into the well.

The utility, advantages. and objects of the present invention will be more particularly brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, 1. is a diagrammatic elevational view of the rotary drilling tool of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the head vwhich is illustrated as circular- 1n cross section, from the upper end of which projects the screw threaded pin 2, adapted for engagement lwith the drill collar. The intermediate supporting body 1 may be provided' with the circular ribs 3, which are adapted to provide gripping surface for a fishing tool in case the pin end 2 should be twisted oft', which sometimes occurs, due to strain. From the lower end of the intermediate supporting body projects a bit and reamer supporting portion 4, which in the present instance simulates in shape, a fish tail, provided with the alternate outwardly projecting portions 5 and the inwardly cutaway portions 6. The portions 5 are provided with the longitudinal slots 7 opening to thesid'es thereofl and separate communicating transverse slots 8 whichL open also to the base thereof. Reaming elements designated at 9 may be mounted in the longitudinal side Slots 7, portions of which reaming elements project beyond thel walls of the projections 5 and below the base thereof. 'In use and operation the portions of the reamer which project beyond the wall of the head are adapted to present elongated relatively thin reaming surfaces to Vthe formation being drilled and in the present instance. may comprise a plurality of cutting edges illustrated at by the longitudinal recess 11. These reamers may be provided on one surface with locking lugs 12 adapted to have engagement with the grooves 13 .in the walls confining the slots 7, for the purpose of locking the reamer in slots 7. y

Mounted directly adjacent the lower end of each reamer and contacting therewith is a drilling bit 14, which comprises a supporting portion 15 mounted in the head and a drilling blade 16 projecting from the base thereof. In the drawings, this blade 16 is illustrated as off-set from the plane of the supporting body 15, but it is to be noted that this blade 16 may 10, (Fig. 4), separated of there may be provided a lockingl nut 17 adapted to register with a 'groove 18 in the wall denin the transverse recess.

A water c annel 17 divides into branches ,.18, which discharge the water at the base of the head immediately adjacent vthe side walls of the projections 5 and directly at the point of contact between the cutting edge ofy the cutting blade 16 and the formation being.

drilled. The delivery of water at this particular point has a two-fold purpose, namely, cooling the drilling blade and assisting in forcing the cuttings to be discharged.

As a feature of the present invention, the walls defining the branches 18Aare raised above the transverse plane of the bit supporting portion 4: as indicated at 19 forming the open channels or passage-ways 20, which curve upwardly from the base of the head and outwardly from the sides to facilitate the passage and removal of the cuttings and water.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the dra-wings, the edges of both the reamer `9 and drilling bit 14, project beyond the side of the head and into the formation being drilled, thus in? creasing the reaming surface which is presented to the formation and resulting in theA drilling of a hole true to gauge. The lower end of the reamer 9 may be provided with the cutting blade 21, which if desired may be materially decreased in thickness and width. The drilling bit 14 may be, if desired, materially reduced in thickness and provided with the reinforcing ribs 22.

As a feature of the present invention, the inner edges or sidesof the drilling bit 14, overlap as illustrated at 23 (Fior. 1), for the purpose of preventing the padliing of material removed in the drilling operation, which ifpermitted to pack in this space between the inner side edges of the drilling bit, might materially cut down the speed oneven stop the. rotation of the drilling tool.A

The lower body may be provided Withthe aperturesl 24 for the reception of the locking screws' 25 which pass through the body and into a recess in the surface of the drilling bit 14, as indicated clearly in Fig. 4. It is obvious that various changes may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention.

For the purpose of providing a good support and to prevent accidental displacement, the lower end of the rib 12 may be cut away and rounded to abut against the 'upper roundededge of the drilling bit 14.

I claim as my invention:

1. A rotary well drillingtool comprising f in combination a supporting head provided `adapted to have removable cooperative engagement with said head in said transverse slots, each having a main face disposed in contact with a main face of an adjacent reamer, said drilling bits having cutting edges projecting from the base of said head, the inner' edges of the projecting portions of the drilling bits overlapping in transverse section, said reamers being provided with cutting edges on their lower end to simultaneously drill on the bottom of the hole being drilled by the drilling bits, and s o disposed as to roate in the saine circular plane as the drilling its. v

2. A rotary well drilling tool comprising in combination a supporting head provided with longitudinal slots 'communicating with 4' oilset transverse slots opening respectively to the sides and base of the head, reamers adapted to have removable cooperative engagement' with said 'head in said longitudinal slots, drilling ybits also adapted to have removable cooperative engagement with said head in said transverse slots, and disposed in ,contact with said reamers, said drilling bits having cutting edges project-ing from the base of said head, and screw threaded pins projecting through apertures in the head and cooperatively. engaging the drilling bits to lock the reamer and drilling bits in the head.

3. A well drilling tool, including in combination, a head havin longitudinal apertures extending inwardly rom its sides, said apertures being open at the base of the head, reamers removably mounted in said longitu- `dinal apertures and projecting beyond the base of the head, cutting elements removably mounted in the head each having a main face disposed in contact with a main face of an adjacent reamer, a shoulder formed in each reamer adapted to contact t-he upper edge of each cutting element, and means for locking the cutting element in the head.

4. A rotary well drilling tool, comprisinf1r in combination a supporting head provided with longitudinal slots and separate but communicating transverse slots opening respec. tively to the sides and to the base of the head, said longitudinal slots being closed at their upper ends, reamers, each having a body portion and a reaming surface, adapted to have removable cooperative engagement with said head in said longitudinal slots in such man- Iner as to permitonly a relatively small portion of each reamer` including the reaming surfacethereof, to project beyond the 'side walls ot said head, drilling bits also adapted to have removable cooperative engagement with saidhead in said transverse slots, each having a main surface disposed in Contact with a. main surface of an adjacent reamer, said drilling bits having cutting edges projecting from the base of said head, the inner edges of the projecting portions of the drilling bits overlapping in transverse sectionand means associated with the reamers adapted for engagement with both the head and the drilling bits for detachably securing said reamers from unintentional sidewise displacement, said-reamers being insertable in said head only by forcing said reamers upwardly in said head,v each reamer being cutaway to contact and be supported bythe adjacent drilling bit, which latter is sidewise ,removably mounted in said head wherebyeach drilling bit must be removed from the head before the adjacent reamer can be removed.

5. A rotary well drilling tool, comprising in combination a supporting head provided with longitudinal slots and separate but communicating transverse slots opening respectively'to the sides and to the base of the head, said longitudinal slots being closed at their upper ends, reamers, each having a body portion and a reaming surface, adapted to have removable cooperative engagement with said head in said longitudinal slots in such manner as to permit only a relatively7 small portion of each reamer, including the reaming surface thereof, to project beyond the side walls of said head, drilling bits also adapted to have removable cooperative engagement with said head in said transverse slots, each having a main surface disposed in contact lwith a main surface of an adjacent reamer, said drilling bits having cutting edges projecting from the base of said head` the inner edges of the projecting portions `of the drilling bits overlapping in transverse section, and means associated with the reamers adapted for engagement with bo-th the head and the drilling bits for detachably securing said reamer from unintentional sidewise displacement, each reamer being insertable upwardly in said head until the upper' edge of said reamer abuts against the wall closing the upper end of the longitudinal slot, an integral rib projecting from-a face ofeach reamer adapted to register with the head to prevent sidewise displacement l.of said reamer, said reamers being cut away to contact and be supported bv the drilling bit to prevent accidental longitudinal displacement.

6. A supporting head for use with a rotary drilling tool, comprising an intermedi.- ate supporting body, a screw threaded pin projecting from one endv thereof anda bit supporting portion from the opposite end, portion-s of the outer edge of the vbit supporting portion projecting beyond the outer wall of the intermediate supportingbody, other inwardly cut awa-y and lying within said wall, longitudinal side slots and' communicating transverse slots opening respectively to the sides and base of said bit supporting portion, and water channels opening at substantially the base of the latter immediately adjacent the outer edges, the outer wall delining the water channels being'raised above the surface of the bit supportmg portion to A define open channels curving upwardly from the base and outwardly to the sides to facili-v tate passage of water and cuttings.

7. A supporting head for use witha ro- I tary drilling tool, comprising' an intermediate supporting body, a screw threaded pin projecting from one endl thereof and a bit supporting portion from the opposite end, portions of the outer edge of the bit supporting portion projecting beyond the outer wall of the intermediate supporting body, other portions of said bit supporting body being inwardly cut away and lying within said wall,

longitudinal side slots and communicating` transverse slots opening ,respectively to the sides and base of said bit supporting portion, and water channels opening at substantially the base of the latter immediately adjacent the outer edges, the bit supporting portion being grooved to define an open channel curving upwardly from the base and outwardly to the side to facilitate the upward passage of water and cuttings.

' CHARLES B. KENNEDYE.

portions of said bit supporting body being y 

